Heartsridge Shifters: Cade (South-One Bears Book 2)

by Olivia Arran

  Touch me. I willed her to take what she wanted. To drag her nails down my back, to press and squeeze.

  But her shove was expected. Our lips parted. Noses touching, she stared at me, her hands still on my hips where she’d cruelly separated us. “I can’t. I’m sorry. You’re a bear and I’m … not.” It was a whisper. She didn’t mean it. We were right for each other, she had to feel it, too.

  She pressed her lips together, still swollen from our kiss, from the stubble on my jaw, and I groaned. She wasn’t kidding. The rage had gone, swept away by the purity of the passion I had for this woman. She’d said no.

  I was a man of my word, even if that word had been a silent promise.

  I stepped back, hating the very air that hung between us. The people around us came back into focus, still dancing and drinking, carrying on without giving us a second glance. Thank fuck.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

  Her eyes beseeched me to understand. “Cade—”

  I saw the answer in her eyes. Even after the kiss, she wouldn’t accept what this was. What this could be. I swept a hand through my hair, shadowing my face. “Don’t.” I softened my voice, unable to help myself. I cared for this woman, goddammit. Was fast falling in love with her. I couldn’t let anyone hurt her, even me. Taking her hands off my hips, I gave them a quick squeeze, then dropped them. “I understand.” I turned and walked away. I’d always been happy with who I was, but for the first time in my life I was unsure.

  But I understood, all too well. I headed through the forest, toward the town and a small cabin tucked away at the side of the river. There was only one man who could sort my head out and give me the strength to wall up my heart. My father.

  Chapter Twelve

  Mina

  He didn’t return.

  The night passed in a blur of concerned faces and badly phrased excuses, until finally I was alone, curled up in my bed. Moonlight spun its web through my window, caressing the room in a silvery glow. My hand drifted to my mouth, the pads of my fingers pressing gently against lips still tingling with aftershocks.

  He had devoured me, pressing against me like a man starved of oxygen. Sealing my destruction with a single brush of his lips.

  On the bedside table, I met my parents’ eyes. Heard their silent whispers of disapproval.

  “Is it really so wrong?” My words were mouthed, rather than voiced. How could something that felt so right, be so wrong? Really?

  How could he turn my world upside down with a single touch?

  A loud snore rippled through the silent house, followed by a soft chuffing noise. Slipping out of bed, I followed the noise, finding Granny asleep in the chair next to her bed, her face turned toward the window. Standing guard and watching for my return, no doubt. Ready to chase away any randy bear shifters hiding in the bushes. Slapping a hand to my mouth, I managed to swallow the nearly hysterical giggle, lifting a blanket off the bed and tucking it around her. There was no point in waking her, since she was often up before the sun anyway. Better to let her get as much sleep as she could.

  It had destroyed her to lose my mother—her daughter—and my father at the same time. Almost as much—maybe even more—than it had destroyed Liam and me. But it hadn’t changed her mind, she’d stuck with their plan. Keep the farm and avoid registration. Avoid other shifters. My father had been a purist, sticking to the old ways and refusing to let change enter their little dominion. As the Alpha of our little pack, he’d been kind but firm, with high expectations to be met. He would have never approved of Cade, although I’d like to think my mother might have warmed to him.

  Padding back to my room, I climbed back into bed, glancing at the photograph one last time. My father stood tall and proud, his arm around my mother’s shoulders and a grim set to his mouth.

  I was seeing him anew, but not. It was strange, seeing your parent through fresh eyes, the eyes of a woman and not a child. No, she wouldn’t have accepted Cade, she would never have had the chance. He would have put a stop to it.

  For the first time in my life I forced myself to question the very core of what I’d been raised to believe. Heartsridge wasn’t so bad. Registration didn’t appear to point a gun at our heads. People seemed to be happy here. Friendly. Open. Caring.

  Accepting.

  I swallowed, a sour taste coating my tongue.

  Had I made a mistake? Was there another way to live?

  My eyelids felt like they had grit grinding against the underside, chewing up my eyeballs. Not surprising, since I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. I’d nearly face planted in my bowl of cereal and it had only been Liam’s non-stop chattering that had kept me awake during breakfast. Granny’s pointed query about whether I’d be going to work this morning had me dragging my carcass toward the door, muttering something about having a lead to follow up on.

  No way I was telling her that the lead was in the form of an extra large cappuccino with a side order of blueberry pie at Julie’s cafe. Then maybe, just maybe, I’d have enough energy to start the day.

  Sunlight blinded me. I swayed on my feet, letting the door shudder closed behind me, waiting for my eyes to adjust. They did, and I wished they hadn’t.

  Lounging at the end of my path, leaning against his beat up truck like he didn’t have a care in the world, stood Cade. Legs wrapped in battered denim and sunglasses shielding his eyes, he had his hands shoved into his pockets and head tilted up toward the sun. Checked cotton clung to his chest, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up again to reveal the same forearms I’d drooled over last night.

  What was it with me and forearms? I’d never given them a second glance before, but on Cade they were the first place my eyes went. Then his ass. Arms and ass. Even my inner monologue sounded sleep deprived.

  “What are you doing here?” Probably not the best way to greet the man who’d kissed me until I was tongue tied, then chased away. Heading down the path, I stopped a couple of feet away. Yeah, I didn’t trust myself, not after the confused arguments I’d had with myself while not-sleeping last night.

  “Good morning to you, too,” he replied, tilting his head in my direction, his beautiful eyes shielded from view by a fancy looking pair of aviator shades.

  My fingers itched to rip them off and stomp them into dust.

  Shit. Where had that come from? I forced myself to speak, trying to remember my manners past the incessant need to growl, “Good morning, Cade.” I sounded like a twit. Folding my arms over my chest, I tapped my finger, hoping he’d get the message. Why was he here? What did he want? Did he think I’d—

  “I’ve been thinking about the fact that you need something to do here,” he drawled, inching his shades up with his index finger and scratching the bridge of his nose. “Something to keep you busy and out of trouble.”

  I could have sworn he winked at me, judging by the twitch of his cheek.

  Wait. My fingers stilled. “You’ve found me a job?”

  “I think so. You’ll need to go see for yourself, but so long as you have the faintest idea what Talbot is talking about, he’s agreed to give you a trial run.” He gestured toward his truck, reaching over and opening the door.

  I took a step forward before I even had a chance to think, then froze, thoughts crashing into my mind. “Cade. About last night—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he interjected with a small smile.

  I tilted my head, wishing he’d take off those damn glasses. “You seem very … calm, considering.” That I rejected you, I added silently.

  He shrugged, the gesture pulling his shirt tight across his chest. “Someone talked me down and made me see sense. Like I said, don’t worry about it. I understand completely.”

  Disappointment tasted bitter on my tongue, but what right did I have to even acknowledge the feeling? I’d rejected him and he had accepted it. Did I really expect him to keep on chasing me?

  Damn it. I did. I was his mate and he’d given up so easily? That wasn’t me talking, it was my fox, sna
rling in the back of my mind. It had to be.

  Rubbing my forehead, I tried to force my brain into some sort of order. “So, you’re okay with it?”

  A muscle in his jaw jumped, shattering his image of calm. “With what, exactly?”

  I gestured in the air between us, stumbling over the words. “Us. Being friends.”

  He slid the glasses off, his hazel eyes burning with conviction. “Always.” Shadows clung beneath his gaze, tiredness paling his skin. He looked as exhausted as I felt.

  Jumping up into the cab, I waited until he’d come around and closed his door. “Good. Because I wouldn’t want to lose you … as a friend,” I tacked on hastily. The engine gunned and we pulled away from the cottage, heading away from the town center. His sidelong glance had been the only indication he’d heard me. Settling back against the hot leather, I folded my hands in my lap, forcing back the wave of anxiety that crashed in my chest. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re… well, you know, but I… I mean, I can’t… we shouldn’t…” I gave up.

  “I’m what?” He genuinely looked intrigued.

  “Hot,” I blurted out. “Attractive. It’s not because of that.” Oh, sweet mother loving balls. I wanted to fling myself out of the truck and find somewhere dark and dingy to hide.

  The corner of his mouth twitched, but his eyes remained glued to the road. “You think I’m attractive?” He genuinely sounded pleased and a little perplexed.

  Did he not have a mirror in his cabin? I tried to remember the interior, but all I could pull up were images of him standing there—naked. Twisting in my seat, I faced him. His profile had a shudder working its way down my spine, his presence in the small cab overwhelming my senses. Every breath I managed to suck in, smelled of him. I was basically wallowing in him. Did he really not know what effect he had on me? How hard it had been to push him away, when all I’d wanted to do was throw him to the ground and lick him all over? I swallowed, the air inside the truck suddenly thick with tension. “A little,” I eventually forced out past a thick tongue.

  “Good. Because I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.” His voice was low and gravelly.

  My toes curled in my boots. “What about the friend thing?”

  He pulled the truck to a stop, his shoulders turning to face me and his arm bracing against the steering wheel. “Friends can find each other attractive.”

  “Can they?” It came out an undignified squeak.

  He nodded, as though he’d thought long and hard about it. Reaching over, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Friendship can come with all kinds of benefits, don’t you think?”

  I gulped. Did he mean what I thought he meant? The air crackled between us, sparking with the kind of electricity that I’d only read about in books, and seen in movies.

  A loud bang sounded on the hood of the truck. I jumped out of my damn skin.

  Cade chuckled, pushing open his door and squeezing out into the warm, fall sunshine. “Come meet Talbot,” he drawled, not a hint of confusion or embarrassment hidden in his voice. The shades were back on and we were back to easy going, friendly Cade.

  An older man gave me a wave, pulling Cade into a one handed backslap of a greeting. Dark green eyes assessed me with a shrewdness that would have given Granny a run for her money. Weathered and wrinkled with age, his skin had the burnt chicory tan of a body exposed to the elements year after year, his dark hair still surprisingly thick and messy on top of his head. It was only when I was stood in front of the man that I realized how big he was, still broad and strong, with a spring in his step as he led the way toward a large glass building. A greenhouse, I realized on second glance, never having seen one quite this large before.

  Pulling open the glass door, he ushered us into a vast room, filled with hot, moist air that immediately had my tank top sticking to my skin and hair frizzing out. If I’d thought outside was hot, this was a furnace from hell. Stepping away from the two men who were chatting about this and that, I wandered down the first aisle, wide eyed as I took everything in. On both sides stood sturdy tables running the length of the walls, on top of which rested troughs and pots filled with rich, black dirt. Plants of all kinds bloomed and flourished, some familiar and others I’d never seen before. The aisle disappeared into the distance, reaching as far as the eye could see, large trees shooting up to kiss the glass roof.

  “Just be thankful it’s still warm enough outside for us to have some of the windows open.” The voice behind me was rough and carried a twang of the south. Talbot rocked to a halt beside me, his green eyes startling against his tan. Fingers engraved with dirt pointed out familiar plants, then moved onto the more unfamiliar, the Latin and English names rolling off his tongue with an ease that spoke of years of dedication. “Cade tells me you’re a farmer?” At least he didn’t burst out laughing as his eyes tracked over me, cataloging my tiny stature next to his bulk.

  Pulling myself up, I stretched to my full height. “I am. Wheat, mostly.”

  He hummed, nodding to himself. “Grown any fruit before?”

  “No.” But I’d always wanted to.

  He scratched his chin. “Vegetables?”

  I thought of my little kitchen garden and the hours I’d dedicated to painstakingly grow enough to feed a family of three. “Yes.”

  “Good, good.” He nodded, as if we’d reached some sort of understanding.

  “Wait,” I tugged on his sleeve as he made to walk away, “Does this mean you’ll give me a trial?”

  Turning back to me, his eyes twinkled with an emotion I couldn’t pin point. “I already told Cade I’d give you a go. One week. If your thumb’s black, then I can’t help you.”

  My heart soared, excitement pouring into me and filling me up. “I studied online,” I blurted out, for some reason wanting to impress on him that he wasn’t making a mistake. Cade might have secured me the opportunity, but I’d impress Talbot and keep this job on my own merit. “Horticulture,” I added, “I’m only lacking the hands on experience.”

  His eyebrows had shot up, digging the wrinkles on his brow deeper into his skin, but now they settled back down to frame amused eyes. “I think we’ll get on just fine.” He held out his hand and I grabbed it, pumping it up and down. “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”

  “What time should I arrive?” Bright and early to me had previously meant around sunrise.

  “Eight-ish should do it.”

  No more hauling ass on the tractor at dawn! A huge smile plastered all over my face, I waved goodbye and made my way back outside, to where Cade stood waiting. With a squeal, I launched myself at him, breaking free to do a silly dance that consisted of stamping my feet and jumping up and down while shaking my ass. Another squeal. I threw myself back into his arms, laughing when he picked me up and spun me around. “Thank you!” I breathed. It was my dream job, something I’d never thought I’d have the chance to experience.

  He set me back on my feet, but didn’t let go, his arms around my waist and holding me still. “You’re welcome,” he murmured.

  The electricity was back, sparking between us and singing my skin. I twisted away, pretending to spin in happiness, but I didn’t miss the shadow flash through his eyes before he hid them behind his shades. “Come on, you’re going to want to go celebrate.” We drove down the little lane, leaving the large greenhouse behind in a cloud of dust. “Talbot is responsible for all the growing in Heartsridge,” he commented, once we were safely back on a more serviceable road. Smoothing his hand over the steering wheel, he tapped the brake, slowing the truck to a crawl as we passed what looked to be a school outing, a crowd of cubs, pups, and kittens prancing in the long grass and darting between the trees. “The greenhouse is only a part of the set-up, but it’s where he needs help the most.”

  I giggled at the sight of a baby jaguar pouncing onto the back of a lumbering bear cub, tiny claws out and tail swishing. “You know him well?”

  “Talbot? Yeah.” He flicked on the
indicator and pulled onto my lane.

  I didn’t know quite how to ask, so I dived in head first. “I didn’t know there were gorilla shifters in Heartsridge.”

  A quirk of a brow, then, “Is that a question of some sort?”

  “Where does he come from? Does he have a family here?” I’d never met a gorilla shifter before, never even heard of one!

  Cade chuckled, pulling over to the side of the road. “The same place we all came from and yes, he has family here.” At my confused expression, he took pity. “He’s not from the depths of the jungle, if that’s what you’re asking. He was born stateside, like you and I.”

  I forced a chuckle, feeling like an idiot. “I suppose … I asked because meeting him made me feel not so wonky.”

  A burst of laughter filled the cab. “Wonky?”

  “You know,” I gestured in the direction of the town, “being the odd one out. There’s only four of us here.”

  “Fox shifters,” Cade filled in, nodding his head. “Yeah, I can see how that might make you feel wonky.” He laid a hand under my chin, nudging it up from where it had hit my chest. “If you open yourself up to it you might come to realize that not everything is so black and white here. It’s not about being a bear or a wolf or a fox, it’s about who we are as people. I like you because you’re Mina. Would I like you more if you were a bear? No. That’s ridiculous, because then you wouldn’t be Mina.” Hazel deepened to a burnished bronze, the gold flecks swelling and flickering with heat. Time hung heavily, stretching between us as I stared at him, his words sinking into my soul.